Jining in East China's Shandong province, known as the hometown of Confucius, is ramping up efforts to attract visitors from Southeast Asia.

Jining held a matchmaking meeting with the Shandong Provincial Department of Culture and Tourism for Southeast Asia on March 13. The meeting focused on strengthening overseas promotion, developing tailored travel products, and improving services to boost inbound tourism.

Jining aims to double its inbound tourism. The city is building an international promotion network through four provincial overseas marketing centers and five of its own centers in cities like Seoul and Kuala Lumpur. Additionally, the city is considering cultivating bilingual "city ambassadors" and inviting international influencers to help promote its attractions globally.

For Southeast Asian visitors, Jining is creating specialized products that combine business trips with cultural tours, exhibitions with travel, and study tours with intangible heritage experiences. "Flight ticket + attraction + hotel" packages are being made for key markets.

The city is also upgrading its services with multilingual signs, foreign language guides, and convenient currency exchange and payment options at major sites. New incentive policies will reward travel agencies and hotels that attract international tourists.

A group of Vietnamese travel agencies visits the Confucius Temple in Qufu, Jining, for further cooperation on cultural tourism in early March. [Photo/WeChat account: gh_2fbaaaf1eff1]

A Southeast Asian visitor tries to write a sentence from The Analects of Confucius at Nishan Sacred Land. [Photo/WeChat account: gh_2fbaaaf1eff1]